UI Feedback Wanted

[Dave Jewell]

Totally agree with Uli on this one.  I've recently started working  
with a web-site development app called  Freeway Pro.   
(www.softpress.com).  This uses the concept of "actions" to (for  
example) manipulate a graphic on a web page.  Previously, these  
actions were implemented as plug-ins but are now part of the main  
app, but that's beside the point.

The key point is that the list of available actions take no space at  
all in the main window.  If you want to apply an action to a graphic,  
select the graphic, bring up the actions dialog, and you'll then see  
a small + button from where you can select an available action and  
add it to the list of already applied actions for that graphic.  The  
bottom line is that it's a simple, elegant interface which doesn't  
get in the way of what you're doing most of the time.

If you must show your list of available plug-ins all the time (why?),  
then consider using a popup list.  At least that way, you use only a  
relatively tiny amount of screen space.

Dave

Uli Kesterer said:

> One of the things he outlines there that you may want to
> take to heart is that screen real estate is limited, and you should
> lay out your UI (and particularly your main window's UI) by
> importance and frequency of use. I.e., put the stuff users think
> about the most when using your app (i.e. the main metaphor) into the
> main window, and make it the biggest item, then pick the next most
> important concept, and go on like that.

<snip>

>   You should do the same. Don't just take every feature and dump it
> in a window. Think about who is going to use your app, and how. Then
> make sure common actions are really quick and easy to do.